Converting a garage into living space

• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Has anyone on here done this?
  I've decided this will be the next project. It will add 576 sq ft of living space with an extra room and bathroom. I'll build a garage out back and run the drive around the side of the house. I want taller ceilings in the garage anyways so it only makes sense to go this route.
  
  What was the cost of yours and did you contract it out or do it yourself?
• tuskytuffguy

  Well, being an engineer, one would think you could go the cheaper route and do it yourself. But that would require you to cut into your golf time and get your hands dirty. I mean, it's not like it could cut into golf, since it's winter and we're getting blasted, but doing real-man work is out of the question for you, regardless.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  tuskytuffguy wrote: Well, being an engineer, one would think you could go the cheaper route and do it yourself. But that would require you to cut into your golf time and get your hands dirty. I mean, it's not like it could cut into golf, since it's winter and we're getting blasted, but doing real-man work is out of the question for you, regardless.

  Anyone who knows me knows I'll do it myself with some friends. Now, anyone who's actually done it and has some suggestions want to add in?
• wes_mantooth

  

  Never done that, but we did finish an old basement. We went the easy way.....used half inch foam insulation and baseboard heaters.
• LJ

  

  How big is the current house sq footage wise? Is it a 2 car garage you are looking at converting? Do you currently have an unfinished basement?
• Belly35

  

  Z4P Depending where you live that driveway to the side may not be permitted.
  Before doing any thing get written approval from the city.
  
  Yes I have converted a garage 24x24 in to a large family room with fireplace ........
• believer

  

  Belly35 wrote:Yes I have converted a garage 24x24 in to a large family room with fireplace ........

  Careful Belly. You could get more Free Huddle timeout for being a man of many talents.
• Con_Alma

  I would think a better route would be to add a room on to the hose that's a little elevated with a crawl space. I wouldn't want to have any living space on slab.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Belly35 wrote: Z4P Depending where you live that driveway to the side may not be permitted.
  Before doing any thing get written approval from the city.
  
  Yes I have converted a garage 24x24 in to a large family room with fireplace ........

  I was told you could pave all the way to the property line. It's also a 24x24 garage.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  LJ wrote: How big is the current house sq footage wise? Is it a 2 car garage you are looking at converting? Do you currently have an unfinished basement?

  It's currently 1770 sq ft. It's a 2 car, 24x24 garage. The basement is mostly finished with an additional bedroom and bathroom but still has a storage room that isn't finished.
• bartsimpson

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  Belly35 wrote: Z4P Depending where you live that driveway to the side may not be permitted.
  Before doing any thing get written approval from the city.
  
  Yes I have converted a garage 24x24 in to a large family room with fireplace ........

  I was told you could pave all the way to the property line. It's also a 24x24 garage.

  I've never heard any where that you can do that...4-5' is the standard set-back for anything, whether it's driveway, storage shed,etc.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  bartsimpson wrote:

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  Belly35 wrote: Z4P Depending where you live that driveway to the side may not be permitted.
  Before doing any thing get written approval from the city.
  
  Yes I have converted a garage 24x24 in to a large family room with fireplace ........

  I was told you could pave all the way to the property line. It's also a 24x24 garage.

  I've never heard any where that you can do that...4-5' is the standard set-back for anything, whether it's driveway, storage shed,etc.

  I was told drives were different than buildings and could go right up to the line.
• LJ

  

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  LJ wrote: How big is the current house sq footage wise? Is it a 2 car garage you are looking at converting? Do you currently have an unfinished basement?

  It's currently 1770 sq ft. It's a 2 car, 24x24 garage. The basement is mostly finished with an additional bedroom and bathroom but still has a storage room that isn't finished.

  not worth it resale wise imo.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  LJ wrote:

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  LJ wrote: How big is the current house sq footage wise? Is it a 2 car garage you are looking at converting? Do you currently have an unfinished basement?

  It's currently 1770 sq ft. It's a 2 car, 24x24 garage. The basement is mostly finished with an additional bedroom and bathroom but still has a storage room that isn't finished.

  not worth it resale wise imo.

  I dunno.. most houses in the allotment are 2200-2500 sq. ft. Anytime you can add sq. footage to match the houses in the area, it will raise your property value.
• LJ

  

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  LJ wrote:

  ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote:

  LJ wrote: How big is the current house sq footage wise? Is it a 2 car garage you are looking at converting? Do you currently have an unfinished basement?

  It's currently 1770 sq ft. It's a 2 car, 24x24 garage. The basement is mostly finished with an additional bedroom and bathroom but still has a storage room that isn't finished.

  not worth it resale wise imo.

  I dunno.. most houses in the allotment are 2200-2500 sq. ft. Anytime you can add sq. footage to match the houses in the area, it will raise your property value.

  Yeah, but they also have attached 2 car garages. If you have a usable living space, taking away the attached garage isn't going to help.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  LJ wrote:
  
  
  Yeah, but they also have attached 2 car garages. If you have a usable living space, taking away the attached garage isn't going to help.

  True. It made more sense last night when I was hung up on adding a bigger garage out back and adding more sq. footage.
• Trueblue23

  

  How much land do you have in your backyard Z?
  
  I don't know a whole lot about things like this, but you would think the property value may be impacted by reducing the backyard.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Trueblue23 wrote: How much land do you have in your backyard Z?
  
  I don't know a whole lot about things like this, but you would think the property value may be impacted by reducing the backyard.

  not a whole lot (100x250) but certainly room for a good size garage.
• Society

  ccrunner609 wrote: My one story ranch has a heated garage with textured ceiling and large windows. It was built to be enclosed and used as living space.

  This is useful for the discussion at hand.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  Society wrote:

  ccrunner609 wrote: My one story ranch has a heated garage with textured ceiling and large windows. It was built to be enclosed and used as living space.

  This is useful for the discussion at hand.

  lol
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  My humble opinion for what it's worth. Each and every "garage" turned "extra living space" looked just like that and, to me, that's a cheap look. Plus for resale, most people want an "attached" garage, over a stand-a-lone garage. If you are wanting more square footage, I would prefer an additional onto the existing home.
• Con_Alma

  That was my opinion also.
• antonysharples

  i bought my house with a garage that was turned into a family room. It was what sold us on the house, since it added so much more space compared to what we had been looking at. I also said I would build a garage out back, and 6 years later no garage, and I wish everyday that I had that attached garage back. So just something to think about.
  
  As far as the construction aspect, it doesn't appear to be very difficult what they did, and I have never had any problems with it being on a slab. Just lay down a vapor barrier, use treated 2x's to make a "false floor, then deck it.
• jmog

  tuskytuffguy wrote: Well, being an engineer, one would think you could go the cheaper route and do it yourself. But that would require you to cut into your golf time and get your hands dirty. I mean, it's not like it could cut into golf, since it's winter and we're getting blasted, but doing real-man work is out of the question for you, regardless.

  You do know that everytime you attack engineers like this you look completely retarded right?
  
  Nothing you typed there showed any reading comprehension of the original post at all.
  
  I read the first post and completely understood Z4P meant he planned on doing the work himself.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  So it is basically just some smal framing, insulation and drywall? Doesn't sound too difficult. Are you going to be adding windows to the current structure?